Venkaiah Naidu said while the media is free and he cannot direct them, the one thing he can can convey to them from the chair in the beginning of his tenure is, “Please focus more on constructive debate.” He also recalled how once his debate on agriculture was reported in one line though he spoke for 52 minutes.

As The monsoon session of Parliament concluded Friday, day one as Rajya Sabha chairman for Venkaiah Naidu, the country’s new Vice President, saw political leaders from across party lines hailing the ascendance of the “farmer’s son” in the high position.

Thanking the MPs from various parties with whom he has worked or interacted for decades, Naidu talked about the beauty and majesty of parliamentary democracy and its strength, which can lift a common man like him to such an exalted position and offer opportunities to discharge onerous responsibilities that go with this position .

Naidu called for a non-partisan approach and a “shared destiny in the functioning of our legislature”. Turning emotional, he said he is from a small village, the “son of a farmer” who had lost his father and mother at a very young age.”

As a Union minister and senior party leader, Naidu was firefighting for the BJP as well as the government. “I don’t wish to talk anymore about parties, which party has supported me and which party has not,” he said. “That is not an issue. That is over now. Now, I am an all-party man, above party politics. I will be a person above politics.”

Naidu, a former information and broadcasting minister, also had advice for the media. He said there is “heartburn” among members that what is being constructively debated is not being reported, which is the “sacred duty” of media.

“This is the feeling among all the members including myself — the media is only giving weightage to sensationalism, to negativism, to controversies, and to dramatics rather than realistic attitude. One headline is not going to be a deadline. The main line is thinking of the parliamentarians and the collective decision of the parliamentarians. That is the main line and that has to be taken care of,” he said.

Naidu said while the media is free and he cannot direct them, the one thing he can can convey to them from the chair in the beginning of his tenure is, “Please focus more on constructive debate.” He also recalled how once his debate on agriculture was reported in one line though he spoke for 52 minutes.

He assured he would try to ensure that the House is functional and everyone gets an opportunity. Quoting former President Pranab Mukherjee, he said, “Parliament should discuss, debate, decide, not disrupt.”

Insisting that “we should not use the last d”, Naidu spoke at length on disruptions in Parliament. While the Opposition must at least have its say, he said, the government must have its way because it is as per the mandate of the people.

“Adversarial politics should not be allowed to have adverse impact on the functioning of Parliament which, in turn, impacts the progress of our nation. a fractious polity, finding its echoes in the legislature, impedes the forward march of our country and the people. No chamber of our parliamentary democracy can be allowed to be an extension of such a fractious polity,” he said.

Noting that obstruction and disruption of proceedings are increasingly being chosen as the first parliamentary option, he said it disilluisons the country’s people. An emerging economy like India’s should be guided more by a shared destiny in the functioning of its legislature, he said, and urged all to come together and try to take the country forward. “We don’t have the luxury of time. We need to make up for the lost opportunities over the last seven decades if our country were to realise its full potential,” he said.

We wish see him as a president of India in future.. Anyways thanks for serving to our nation as a responsible citizen of India.. All the best for his future..

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J.K.Ahuja

Aug 12, 2017 at 10:08 am

This buf n has lot of missing teeth in his mouth,first should get implants so that he is coherent. He is repeatedley saying that he is no longer a party man, people stress on things which they are not. Naidu will remain a party man,and side with the ruling party,because he is indebted to them for the post. Indian democracy is farce, speakers,VP,Presidents are all partymen, once they occupy a cons utional post you cannot expect them to become impartial overnight. No government will ever appoint an outstanding statesman,educationist, scientist,industrialist,official ( Kalam excluded) to these posts, because no one wants to lose its advantage.

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Gangu Radhakishan

Aug 12, 2017 at 9:27 am

Parliament sessions to be lengthy and should conduct every month focusing on how to make India a developed and powerful nation on Vedic ethics.

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V M

Aug 12, 2017 at 9:16 am

VP is right on the ball. Will opposition listen or just waste time like it did only corruption for last 70 years.

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madhu

Aug 12, 2017 at 7:33 am

i hope he can keep this promise.
he has been good only for talks no results.

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madhu

Aug 12, 2017 at 7:27 am

I hope he can keep at lease this promise. Not just words

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A. M.

Aug 12, 2017 at 7:22 am

These are brainwashed chaddis. Can't expect statesmanship or ruling skills from that uncouthe filthy clan of unmarried people. They cannot stay loyal to their own family and relatives because of the poison that is injected in their blood by the delusional monkey sanghis. They live in a completely different unrealistic plain - probably under the effect of bhaang.

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Joe

Aug 12, 2017 at 7:11 am

"He also recalled how once his debate on agriculture was reported in one line though he spoke for 52 minutes".......................HAHA. He speaks a lot of nonsense, so possibly out of 52 minutes there mustt have just been a line of meaning, the rest must have been acronyms about M.O.D.I